Crime scene investigation

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"There is a small amount of soil on the corpse's clothing, indicating it wasn't buried but stored in a damp, dark place. Despite detailed trace element analysis, no valuable clues emerged."

"Examining the pollen on the victim's clothes, we can pinpoint it to woodland plants native to the Rocky Mountains. Further investigation is needed on-site."

"The surface scars on the corpse likely occurred post-mortem, requiring no confirmation from our experienced forensic expert"

"No fingerprints were detected on the iron arrow lodged in the victim, suggesting careful handling by the perpetrator."

"The deceased had engaged in sexual activity before their demise. Even when air-dried, traces remain in words."

"Residue revealed DNA from another woman, Eliza Kunis, an actress with a history of public indecency. She's currently missing."

"Hairs not matching the victim were discovered. One was linked to Ceres Muller, a middle-aged man with a record of armed robbery, who is also missing. The owner of the other hairs remains unidentified."

"Detailed examination still hasn't determined the cause of death. Initially, it seems like organ failure, resembling a natural death, but the simultaneous failure of all organs is highly unusual."

"The time of death remains elusive. While it appears to be a while, the body was preserved and manipulated, complicating the determination."

"..."

Reflecting on the test results, Abby felt a sense of frustration. Despite many clues, the unresolved cause of death and time of death meant that 80% of the leads might be irrelevant.

"Speaking of the deceased, he was a director, and a horror film titled 'Wrong Turn' is set to release soon, reportedly related to him."

Abby contemplated whether to watch the movie.

"But who should I go with? Gibbs is out, Kate is far away, leaving only my reliable roommate McGee and the movie enthusiast, Tony DiNozzo"

*************

Abby's friend, Kate Todd, was in a different state of mind. Due to personal relationship issues, she left her position at the President's Secret Service, where she had served for over two years. Despite Gibbs's offer to join NCIS, she chose the FBI's West Coast branch instead.

"I want to distance myself from the East Coast's sad side"

She explained this to Gibbs at the time, and he understood.

While not Gibbs' subordinate, she became good friends with Abby.

However, the current case left Abby feeling helpless. She had stumbled upon this bizarre case when she first joined the FBI—a movie director named Alan McElroy went missing, and days later, his body was found in Vinales Valley, near Los Angeles, with an iron arrow similar to the movie crew's props embedded in his body.

It felt like a movie plot.

During her investigation at the scene, Kate noticed that it wasn't the actual crime scene, just where the body had been left. Strangely, no footprints or vehicle tracks were nearby, which didn't make sense. After all, moving a body without leaving a trace is nearly impossible, much like the infamous "locked room" mysteries.

Thus, she had to rely on forensic experts and asked Abby on the East Coast for help. As a new FBI agent, she wasn't entirely confident in the local forensics team.

The FBI's forensic team turned out to be as competent as Abby, but the issue was that they couldn't determine the cause or time of death. So, what good were the other clues?

"Still, having some leads is better than none," Kate reasoned, but subsequent findings confirmed her hunch:

Eliza Kunis, found to have been involved with the deceased, had also disappeared, and the location of her disappearance was Vinales Valley, as per the Los Angeles Police Department's records.

Additional hairs not belonging to the victim were found on his clothes. One matched Ceres Muller, another missing person, last seen in Vinales Valley.

Furthermore, Kate discovered numerous recent missing persons cases in the Vinales Valley area. Was there a connection?

The Los Angeles Police Department handed the case to the FBI. Had they sensed something and thought it would become problematic? Kate wondered.

While the forensic leads seemed challenging to follow, she considered another angle:

"Could the 'Wrong Turn' movie crew have any connection to this?"

Seeing the news published in the Los Angeles Post, with the movie name mentioned, Kate suspected a deliberate attempt at publicity. Her background in the President's Secret Service made her media-savvy, and she suspected that someone was behind this.

"I should talk to Anthony Westwood, the film's producer," Kate decided. However, Westwood's response was a mix of cooperation and non-cooperation, and it seemed like he was benefiting from the hype.

When she requested confidentiality for the investigation, Westwood rejected the idea, citing their responsibility to disclose the truth to the public.

Frustrated, Kate continued, "Could you please arrange a meeting with the film's current director, Mr. Christian Booth?"

"Please refrain from contacting him at the moment. Christian is busy with post-production and editing, and interrupting him could impact the film's release. If you have questions, direct them to me," Westwood replied.

This sparked a new idea in Kate's mind.

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References-

1. Kate Todd - a character from NCIS.

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